I definitely am wary of the current moment, as this heightened awareness of racism at times feels more like a fad than a permanent shift in collective conscientiousness. While there is value in reposting an article or quote on social media, it is important to push for structural changes. This is a daunting task, but I envision a path for myself to continue pushing for equity, especially in the realm of health care, through research, educational, and personal experiences.
I am currently conducting research on implicit racial bias at Duke Medical Center. Previous experiences have taught me how this issue can cause physicians to unconsciously misdiagnose patients, miss symptoms, and cause discomfort in their patients. My time on this research team has shown me how interactions, if done with empathy, can achieve my goal of empowering patients. However, without this key attribute, they can reinforce health disparities and cause patients to lose trust in their health care. Although profoundly impacting my educational career, this field of implicit racial bias research is still relatively young. As a future physician, I hope to continue exploring, spread awareness, and lead efforts to tackle to this issue. I would love to join research teams and share my findings with others.
Much like my research mentors, I see myself balancing my research, educational, and clinical interests in my future career. In addition to caring for my community members in clinics, I definitely envision myself working with likeminded physicians, Chief Diversity Officers, and sociologists to develop and introduce interventions for colleagues to tackle the enduring issue of implicit racial bias in healthcare. Furthermore, I will also take advantage of shadowing and internship opportunities to encourage the next generation of physicians to continue improving the standard of care. These experiences, I believe, will allow me to obtain the most satisfaction and meaning from my career as a physician.